Peter c l a ii k



P. CLARK.

BRICK MACHINE.,

No. 82,492. Patented Sept. 29, 1868.

To' ALL WHoMx-IT MAY ooNCEIiN:

- niet .faire einer ,ffies-y ',Lemt Patent No. 82,492, dated september 29,; 18685 @nous seawater 24, 1868;

nirizoiriplamer-Mineurs.A

Be it known that I, Parnu CLARK; of the city 'of Brooklyn,in the ven'xii'ty oi' Kingma/nd State NewYork,

have invented a new and useful Machine for Making Bricks; and'l'do hereby declare the following *to be a full' I and exact description thereof,reference bei-ng had to the"accouipanying' drawingsjorminga partofiothis specifi- Figure 1 is a side elevation', Figure-2 an en'd rie'w,v and -v -v Y Figure 4, a perspective AView of the sliding racks aridconnecting-bar, whereby the bottoms-of moulds are shifted, and i Figure c perspective'view of one. of the mould-frames Vof my machine' detached.

. Similar lettersof reference indicate like parts in all ofthe igures.

The nature of my' invention consists'in the combination of an endless chain of :moulds provided with sliding bottoms, ai1drevolving beneath a suitable' pug-mill-and under-piangere for chargingthe moulds., and compressing thel cla-yl into and removing the freshhbricks frointhe'same, 'with suitable-shafts,.cams;levers,' and otherv mechanism for-operating the plungers ,and imparting anintermittent moyementto the chain of moulds.

, Also in the combination, with the samemechanism, of toothed sectorsup'on arocking-shaft, engaging sliding racks operatingto r'en'iove thesliding'bottouis of t li e ..c,l1 a.rged-moulds,- and transfer' tliem'to the moulds last discharged.

To enable others skilled inthe art to niuke and use my invention, I'will `proceed todeserihe its consiu'uction and operation.

The brick-moulds of my maohine are formed'in franres, A A', made ,of iron or wood, or of the'two coinbined, and maybe .lined with brass or other metal'that will not' rust.

These mould-frames, A, may he larger br smaller, accordingtothe capacity'vof the machine. In one capa-If.

hie of making two hundred thousand bricks in ten hours, each frame should contain moulds" for twenty bricks.

They areeach' made with a sliding bottom', a, 'gsl 3 and 5, which is removed from the runild-frame4 just before thebricks are to he delivered therefrom, as will he'hereinafter shown. They areialsti'ened'.together'hystrong4 hinges b to form an endless chain, iig. 3,--which'is madetopass around two polygonal wheelsB B, one at each "end of the machine.- Thse wheels may haue mor'e orless anglesjand sides, ,eac'h measuringthe salineV as the width'ofone of the mould-frames A. Atfeachangle is a groove or notch, into which the circular projections of the hinges b catch and closely lit to' keep the. i nouldframes from slipping upon the wheels.

' suitable drying-oven.

The vmould-frames A thus connected in an endless chain, nre supported'between the wheels B byineansf of frictionjrollers c, fig.3', at the topand bottom of rthe machine, and they pass'in successionfun'der the 'pugmill C, mortar-box D, and .plungers E F, and deliver the bricks upon van endless belt,Gr, carrying them to a 1 The. machine .is operated by means'of amain' driving-shaft, H, err-tending acrosslbetwoen the upper and -lower planes of movementI of the chain'of moulds, atright angles thereto, and properly connected with a steamengine, o'r other source of motive-power. v Upon this main` shaft H, near the centre thereof, is placed a large eccetridluwhose arm, d, takes hold of a horizontal rodv or beain, J-,'which extends 'from one `polygonal wheel B tothe other, and is supported at either end hy'links e, (see dotted lines in fig, 1,) piyoted thereto, and swung loosely from the shaftsofjisa'id wheels B B. "Thusthe revolution of the main shaft' H is made to impart a reciprocating movementto the beam Weighted pawls,ff,' (see dotted lines,.iig.v'1',) are pivoted at each end of the beamv J, to engage i'n ratchetwheels S secured fo the polygonal wheels B, so that the reciprocating movement of the beam -J will produceni'" in termittentfmovement of the wheels B, and. each revolution ofthe main shaft Hcwill turn .said wheels, and'y .consequently throw forward the chain of mould-frames just' the width ofone of said frames.

Durihgthe'intervals of-rest, the mouldsin one frame are lledwith clay, thosein another packed, and the fresh bricks deliveredfrom another, as shown in iig. 3 of the cliaa'ings.'Jv

The'pug-mill Gand mud-box D are of the common kind. They are placed over the chain of moulds at the r'ear of the machine, and cover the widththereof, and are supported hytheframc, of the machine,` as shown in the drawings. Under these th'm0ulds pass in constant succession, when the machine is'in operation. i

ThepugmillC is provided with knves'undlavboad wiper at' the, bottom, whih mix and force the tempered clay downwards and forward into th'cmndbox D, and, .'as the moulds pass underneath the same, their complete compact filling is secured 'by apressingplate o r plunger, R, -working vertically ther'ein between suitable guides,

rlhis charging-plunger R is operated by-two pitman-rods'h h,.piv.oted at' either endthereof, (see iig. 2,) and connected to two small eccentrics: placed upon the-main driving-shaft H, which-is situated immediatel' below said plunger-R, as s'hown'in the drawings, figs.v l' 'and 3.

From themud-b'oxvDthe mouldspass forward, in the'mvovem ents of the endless chain, under a second plunger, 1 3, which presses the individual bricks in eachfmould. In the nextvt-wo movements they pass under athird plunger, 'F, provided with followers 'L' t', which fall intoth-e moulds, and gently press the fresh bricks out of them, andcause them to drop vupon thee'ndless belt Gyas illustrated ing. 8 of the drawings. y

'.lhis endless belt G carries the bricks into'the drying-oven, where one isl used in connection with the machine, or,shold the-machine be used without a drying-ovcn, the -bricks may bedelivered un'cu boards providedfor ysuchwpurposegnvhich may be taken away by handfrom oi thc'endless belt.

The plungers E F are 'made'adjustable upon their connecting-rods by means of thumb-screws, or other adjustable fastening-devices, so that they may be made longer or 'shorter in movement, as the case may require. either indeliveringthe bricks or in pressing the clay into the moulds.

These plungers are all operated -by connecting-rods -K K, from camsm m upon horizontal-revolving shafts` M in the framework above, and arc staycd'and .guided in'their movements by rods or ways at either end. v

The sliding bottoms 4a -a ofthe mould-frames A'are removed successively as they passunder the plu'nger 2li',k and shifted or carried forward t' the mould-frame last emptied, by' meansof tw'o toothed' sectorsI K' secured upon anshaftn', underneath,(figs.1`and'3,)'and provided with-crank-armsrilmto which are pivoted connectingrodsp, taking holdof the reciprocating beam J.

' The shaft r is placed in front of thepl'an'e of the'plu'ngerF, under the mouldb earing chain, and 'on aline with the main shaft H, and-,of the s haftsof .the polygonal wheels BB. These toothed sectors mesh into two racks s s, arranged'to slide ways under the mould-bearing chain, on either side thereof, and which are connected by a cross-har, '0, als illustrated in figg-1, to'preserve unity in their movements. The ends of said sliding racks, towards which the moulds app-roach in their movement, are tted'iwith dogs or pawls t, (figsf and 4,) arranged to swing and catch by their o `n gravity, whenlthe racks move forward, into notches cut on the under side of the sliding h ttoms o'f the moulds, but which permit the racks to slide freely back under the same, as shown by red lines Ai n' .ig. 4 of the drawings; I i i il The' l'e'ngth ofthe crank-'armsn'ofthe sectors K is so proportioned as that, while the mould-chain makes ope'movement' forward at each revolutonxot'- the main shaft H, vtraversing a distance 'equal to the'width of one mouldframe, the sectors make a sweep 'forward and back of twice this distance. Hence the sliding racks, in which the sectors engage, are made to travelforwnrd lunder themould-frames, whilst the latter are in motion, a distance equal to the width of two oftliexn, carrying the sliding bottom of the rstimouldirame forward, and transferring it to'the. second,` leaving the former open for the discharge of bricks-therefrom, and closing the latter previously-opened bya similar movement, and then, whilst the mould-frames are momentarily at rest, and the bricks arebeing compressed thereinland discharged therefrom to travel back, so that thedog's @t may engage the sliding bottom of the next mould-frame. v

The bottoms of .the 'moulds can, if it isdeemed necessary, be thoroughly sandedju'stbefor'e Apassing under the pugmill C, and the fresh bricks may also be sanded at the top, afterleavint:` themill, to prevent anyadhesion of the plungers E and F thereto.

The chain of 'mould-frames A A is supported hy'pfriction-rollers c c extending across beneath the same, above-and below, from onelside of the'framc to'the'lother.' These rollers cc are not used under the sliding racks s s, but small friction-wheels, q g, Eg. 3, are inserted in theiframe on either side as an equivalent therefor. These `friction-wheels aremade alittle smaller between thecompressing and discharging-plungers'E Fthan elsewhere, so as' to let the sliding bottoms a of the mould-frames drop a little'in order to overcome any adhesion thereof to the under side of the bricks. Small steel springe may be placed for the same purpose in th'e mouldframes to act upon the slidingbottoms, and relieve them from 'an adhesion of the clay thereto.

Y'.lo prevent any displacement of the mould-frames as they pass forward, small steels-pringsor catches a're inserted in the-bottom ofthe ends thereof, which, at cach resting-point, fall-into notches made in the framework cf the. machine to 'prevent themfrom slipping back. y

' I As a fiirther precaution against any displacement of the mould-framemias they pass under the plnngers of the machine, ithese pluugers E F may be iitted with guide-pins, lon thel under side 4thereof at each end, to fall into small grooves cutlin the mould-frames, so'as to Aguide the plungers and followers exactly to their place in the moulds@ l To accomplish the sanding' of the moulds, small wire sieves may be placed in the rear of the pug-mill, and so adjusted as to drop into the mould and sand the bottom thereof only. If foundY necessary,- sieves may also be placed in front of the pug-mill to sand the upper side of the'bricks. i

`When required, the moulds may also' be brushed or washed clean of any clay adhering thereto, and also sanded as they pass down under the machine from front to rear.

I In addition to the perpendicular pug-mill C, a horizontal pug-mill should be placed, at right angles t0 the` machine, upon the side opposite to the end where the poweris applied to the main shaft, especially if the machine is a. large one. The mortar having passed through this horizontal pug-"mill, may be thrown out at the end next the machine, and then carried by an elevatorand emptied into the hopper W, (iig. 2,) of the pug-mill on the machine itself. Y i

The several parts of my machine may be 'varied in size and form, retaining the same' relative size and proportions, so as to produce the same results.

The' rod, d, connecting the eccentric, Lion the driving-shaft H with the reciprocating beam J,`may be unshipped at pleasure, as also the gearing of the pug-mills, to allow the machine proper and the pug-mills to be Worked independently of each other.

Having thus fully described my invention, will# I claim therein as ne\v,vand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The combination, in machine for making bricks, of au endlessvchain of'moulds A, having detachable sliding bottoms a, with a suitable pug-mill, C, and with compressing and discharging-plungers EF, while said sliding bottoms are successively transferred from the charged'moulds to those last emptied, to open the one and close, the other, all substantially inthe manner und for the purposehereinrset forti.. K

2. The improved mould-frames A, provided -with and closedl by sliding bottoms a, and combined in an endless chain, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. l

3. The sliding racks s s, operated by toothed sectors R, andl arranged to engage with andA transfer the detachable bottoms a of the mould-frames A from charged moulds to those last cmptied,rsubstantially in thev manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. Thel combination, of a swinging connecting-beam J, links e, and weighted pawls ff, with ratchets S S' an the polygonal wheels B B, and the endless chain oi moulds A, arranged and operating substantially as rnd for the purpose herein described.

As witness my hand to the foregoing specification.

.PETER CLARK.

Witnesses: l

DAVID A. Bunn, Monnis PooL. 

